UW’s Wyoming SBDC Network Launches Program to Protect Wyoming Businesses From Online Threats

After access to capital, the No. 2 concern of small-business owners is the threat of cyberattacks that will disrupt their operations. No-cost training and resources are now available for Wyoming small-business owners to better protect themselves from online scams and hackers.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) selected the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network at the University of Wyoming to administer a two-year statewide Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program. 

Program offerings include no-cost, one-on-one long-term training with expert cybersecurity professionals; access to online anti-virus and other software tools; and monthly webinars on simple methods to avoid scams and online attacks. The program is flexible and can be designed to meet an individual business owner’s need.

Small-business owners often assume they need advanced technical knowledge or the assistance of information technology experts to combat online attackers. In fact, over 90 percent of attacks and scams occur due to human error and behavior. The goal of this program is to help entrepreneurs and their employees adopt better habits and practices to make their websites, email communications and data more secure.

“Small businesses are the backbone of Wyoming’s economy, and ensuring they are protected from cyber threats is essential to avoiding business disruptions,” says Jill Kline, Wyoming SBDC Network state director. “This program is designed to empower entrepreneurs with the knowledge and tools they need to protect their businesses and customers from online attacks.”

Interested small-business owners can contact their local Wyoming SBDC Network advisers for more information about the program, or they can call Paul Johnson, Wyoming SBDC Network cybersecurity program manager, at (307) 314-5208 or email pjohns45@uwyo.edu.   

Those who do not currently work with an adviser can contact their adviser by visiting www.wyomingsbdc.org and completing the brief form at the top of the homepage.

The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their business. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. SBA.